Main menu

Bad Breath and Dentures – Connections and Cures

Written by Daniel Subbotin BSc, BA, DDAugust 15, 2011

If you’re a denture wearer who suspects that you have halitosis (bad breath), there are two reasonably reliable ways to verify or deny your suspicions. Having someone whom you trust will enable you to ask him or her, with an excellent chance that you’ll get the truth. But if you don’t want to put anyone in that position, here’s another simple test.

Remove your dentures and place them in a sealable sandwich bag for five or more minutes. When you open the bag, you’ll get a good idea of the smell of your breath. Let’s assume that for the sake of polite conversation, you are met with a less than pleasant smell. Now you know where to begin, leaving you to understand why you have halitosis and what you can do to correct it.

On the plus side, generally only 10 percent of bad breath comes from conditions outside your mouth such as illnesses. Science has identified that there are diseases that result in halitosis such as respiratory, kidney, liver and gastrointestinal (stomach and colon) problems, including cancer. Most likely, if you are suffering from any of these conditions, your physician has already alerted you that you are at risk for halitosis.

There are several other causes other than the obvious (bacteria – a subject that we’ll cover later) that will result in bad breath. It doesn’t take much in the way of scientific research to identify smoker’s breath and of course, smoking does definitely result in halitosis. But beyond that, some foods have serious responsibility for bad breath.

You may not have been aware but as some foods (beyond the usual garlic and onion) are digested, their broken down molecules are delivered all over the body for the sake of sustaining you. As this happens, some foods will be released to the lungs and are exhaled as unpleasant smells.

What else causes bad breath? Dry mouth is one cause that medically makes quite a bit of sense. In the same way that your breath is unattractive first thing in the morning due to modified breathing patterns during sleep, the dry mouth condition will similarly cause a bad breath result. And there’s a very simple explanation.

The saliva that we normally produce (other than when we have dry mouth or we’re sleeping), has functions other than wetting our whistles. Saliva causes us to swallow, automatically cleansing our mouths of unsavory foods and smells. Beyond this, the saliva also has the chemical substances to kill bacteria, making it a natural bad breath deterrent.

In other words, when our mouths become dry, all of the positive effects of saliva are eliminated. Your mouth becomes a breeding ground for the bad guys – the bacterial that are now able to grow without any restriction. It’s true that periodontal (gum) disease and sinus problems are frequent contributors to the bad breath condition, bacteria are the worst and (happily) most treatable sources of halitosis.

Put most simply, bacteria causes bad breath. From where does the bacteria originate? As you probably know, bacteria is everywhere. Most of it is not harmful and in fact, some bacteria is extremely useful to the body. In some cases, bacteria is the byproduct of the foods that you eat. When your cleaning habits are inadequate, some of these bacteria remain on your dentures and contribute to halitosis. It’s a little more complicated than that, however.

Make certain that your dentures are cleaned thoroughly, out of your mouth, every single day. Use one of the many reliable and proven cleaners that will destroy the majority of bacteria that are lurking, waiting to coordinate their efforts to product halitosis. Under no circumstances should you leave your dentures out overnight without soaking them. This is a great method for warping or causing your dentures to dry out and crack, providing breeding grounds for bacteria.

Your dentures must fit properly, be adjusted or relined regularly and be checked by a reliable professional, a denturist. With the convenience and reputation of EPICITI – Mobile Dental Care, who will visit you and help you maintain your dentures either at home or at your long-term care facility, your dentures will be unavailable for bacteria. And at last, you’ll be able to have close communications without worrying about the dreaded denture bad breath!

About EPICITI- Mobile Dental Care

EPICITI - Mobile Dental Care is a company dedicated to providing the entire range of services to its patients, both in institutional residential settings and in the home. EPICITI specializes in on-call, house call denture services. These services include oral health assessments and one-on-one educational sessions for the improvement of oral health, complete and partial dentures, rebasing, repairs, relines and emergency response.